Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-12-02
SHERIDAN AND THE ARMY.
Tie Wishes TO Retire n Number OF
Useless officers now on
Full Pay.

/ OF hls recommendations he is DESTROYS OF
seeing acted upon by Congress, but he
feels that while they are necessary for
the good of the service all responsibility
is removed from him and is laid upon
/ Congress.
To the Ipoyid correspondent General
Sheridan said
" regard as the most important my
recommendation in reference TO the re-
tirement of many officers who have been
WORKOUT in the service. | would not
ask TO have any man retired who did not
wish TO be, and do not for moment in
/ tend to push any man unwillingiy out of
/ the service. But there are . large num-
/ Der who have not done any service for
years, and never will be assigned TO duty
again. They are at home ON sick leave
and are anxious to be retired. Most of
them have been worn-out in service. A
great many have been used mp
at the army posts up in the
dry countries. IT is a very strange
thing, but it is, however. fact, that we
have more rheumatism IN dry climates
than in the damp ones. 1t is generally
supposed that wet weather and dampness
are conducive 10 rheumatic troubles, int
It is not so. Our books show that il is
in a dry atmosphere that our men suffer.
1t dries them up just like mummies,
stilens their joints. and units them for
duty. The worst post we have is where
only about an inch and a quarter of ram
falls in a year. 1t is from the changes of
climate largely that these men are now
sick.
" Many of them have been at home on
sick leave as long as nine years, and IN
that time have not done an hours duty.
These men hold various ranks, and while
they are away the next in rank does their
work and gets no morepay for it. They
are of no value TO the army and will
never be. They are living at home and
drawing their full pay. They do not
feel like resigning and Ioosing all source
of income, but will be glad to be retired
on what is known as half pay. With this
income they can live, and some of them
are able to do some little work at home
But as far as the army is concerned
they are valueless. Now, to he retired
is what they want end what is only Just
to them, and it Is only fair to raise the
men who are doing the work of their
superior officers to the proper rank and
the consequent pay. These men are dead
wood and should be relieved on the same
principle that tree should be pruned of
the dead leaves. It will be a positive
economy and the service VIII be greatly
improved [ have made the suggestion
and will be glad to see Congress act
upon it, but they are the representatives
OF the people, and if they 60 not take It
up do not care.
(Which Of the other recommends
tions in your report DO you consider OF
the next importance ?"
"Well, L have asked for 5000 more
men for the army. The standing army
is supposed to be %, 000--that Is to say,
this is the limit. AS a matter OF fact
there never is and cannot be quite this
full quota in service. We cannot recruit
Il new man until the time of service OF
his predecessor has expired. This takes
a few days, aad the result is that there is
always margin of two orthree thousand
men. which makes the actual standing
army not more than about -, $50 men.
l have recommended the addition of
5000 more men.
"Where would you put the additional
force ?"
81 should make two regiments of 800
or 900 men each of artillery, There Is a
long stretch OF coast from here east and
two artillery regiments would be well en-
ployed about the fortifcltions. The rest
of these men | should distribute about
the posts"
Glow is the army equipped for
fighting the Indians?
ooh. think there are men enough
on the frontier to take care Of the In
dians There is no forecastng what
they may do ont there at any time But
the troubles are growing less to be
feared every day. The Indians are in
bad shape to ever do much more fight
ING Since the buifaloes were killed off
they have lost their commissary depart
ment. The bunaloes, you know, were
always the Indians commissary depart
ment when they went to war. But now
they are killed of and game is scarce
aud they can't exist long without sup
plies
"How are the Indians armed for fight
ing ?"
"Well armed Better armed than the
soldiers.are. That was the greatest mis-
take We ever made when We disarmed
them the first time. Then they had old
hint-lock guns and one thing and another
that were not worth two cents. We
took them all away, and inside OF SIX
months every Indian was better armed
than our own men. They had the best
improved repeating rifles. And so 1t has
been every time We nave disarmed any
Of them-they equipped themselves with
the latest improved weapons. Why, now
they have these new repeating Nlnches-
tar rifles that fire sixteen shots. Our
men have nothing to compete with
them, and there is not rifle III the
army that is so deadly as those
the Indians have. OF course Indian
warfare Is the hardest kind OF fighting
in the world They are always well
fitted out before they go to fighting.
The traders are always around, and an
Indian will give one, two, three, or per-
haps five or six ponies for good rifle
and ammunition. lhe only way to fight
them Is with cavalry. The Indians are
cavalry. But | do not look for much
more trouble on the frontier About all
they can do is to rise suddenly ana Kill
few settlers, and before they can get
further the troops are after them and run
them away into the mountains"
" have you looked into the tariff ques-
ton or other matters OF legislation that
are likely TO come up before the next
eession OF Congress-? -
81 am no politician. | don't know
anything about what will occupy the
next Congress, aud have paid little at
tcution 10 the political field. Ny army
duties keep me very fully engaged"